Category: Software

We got a new stock of Mobile Genealogy – and are offering it to our readers for just $15.96. That’s now 20% off, and the lowest price we’ve offered on the popular volume. The sale now runs through September 22, 2016. Click on the links to order. The following review was written earlier, and modified with the new sale prices and dates.

Finally – we have a great new guide for those of us who use mobile devices! This book takes the place of Turn Your iPad into a Genealogy Powerhouse, written by Lisa Louise Cooke in 2012. The iPad volume was becoming dated, and mobile devices of all kinds have sprung up since the publication of that book. Not only are folks using iPads & iPhones for genealogy, but many of us are using devices that run Android operating systems. I never felt the need for an iPad, but I’ve been using the iPhone and Android smart phones for years. I’m currently using a Samsung Android smart phone that I’m very pleased with. I use it for all kinds of genealogy applications.

Mobile Genealogy‘s coverage of Android as well as Apple, makes this book twice as valuable a guide as Lisa’s previous book. Think iOS as well as Android. And Lisa’s use of step-by-step instructions (for us computer tech dummies!), as well as a myriad of high-quality illustrations make the book an educational delight. I can honestly say that this volume is changing the way I use my devices, allowing me to find more ancestors, and other relatives – and it’s saving me TIME – something I have begun to value at my age. (grin)

Access the Computer On Your Desk at Home!
Chapter 15 covers using your mobile device to access your home computer. I’ll bet most of you never even considered connecting to your PC with your smart phone. Yes – it’s possible, and Lisa gives step-by-step instructions on how to do that too! So – whether you are using a tablet, or a smart phone, you can access stuff that’s 1000 miles away – or maybe just around the corner.

Screen Capture on my Smart Phone?!
Chapter 4 really gets into the nitty-gritty of better browsing with your mobile device. Although covered in Lisa’s 2012 iPad book, this chapter takes the subject to a whole new level. Her section on mobile web-clipping and screen capture was a great help to me. I’ve always had problems with screen capture and had basically given up on it. Now I know what to do!

Translation Strategies
Lisa’s section on translation strategies in Chapter 10 just opened up a world of new data for me – and it can for you. She explains how the Google Translate App from the App Store or Google Play can be used for capturing data on your ancestor from foreign-language books – translated into English so you can actually read it! Yes – we all know the shortcomings of translation programs, but I am happy to accept anything dealing with my ancestors, and the towns they lived in, even if the English is a bit messy. Think Google Books here folks – loaded with stuff on our ancestors, much of which we can’t read! You can even use your phone’s camera to capture, OCR, and translate any words or phrases! Lisa takes the reader step-by step through how to use the marvelous technology that’s resting in your hand!

The following is an excerpt from a from a post made at Legacy Family Tree’s site on March 7, 2016.

We have another great new update for our Legacy Family Tree 8 users (free) to download. It provides:

345 brand new and updated Research Guidance suggestions,

fixes to some minor issues you have reported to us,

So download the update to get the best Legacy ever!

See the download instructions below for step-by-step instructions on installing this update.

What’s New

Research Guidance. Legacy’s exclusive, built-in Research Guidance, takes a look at what you already know about an ancestor, then gives you a prioritized list of research links and suggestions – all based on when and where your ancestor lived. Beginners love the guidance; experienced researchers love the checklist as a way to not overlook potential sources…

I got the following note from Daniel Horowitz, at MyHeritage.com today:

We’re delighted to let you know that we’ve just released a new version of Family Tree Builder, version 8.0!

The new version has all of the well-known and loved features of previous versions, including sync, Record Matches, Smart Matching™, charts and more, with a totally rewritten internal infrastructure that adds support for very large family trees (up to 500,000 individuals), and delivers faster performance.

In addition to being much quicker and more responsive, version 8.0 delivers improved data integrity. It’s downloadable for free for Windows, with a Mac Extension for Mac users to follow next month.

Our Family Tree Builder team will continue to enhance Family Tree Builder and evolve it in the future, adding new features and making improvements, based on the new infrastructure introduced in version 8.0. We will continue to provide users who like the power and convenience of desktop software with the ideal tool for growing their family tree and advancing their family history research, while the sync allows them to also benefit from having their data online and accessible in a mobile app.

Kendall Hulet, at Ancestry.com, announced today that Family Tree Maker isn’t dead after all. He also commented to the media community that “contracts hadn’t been signed yet,” and that this is the reason that they earlier announced that they were “stopping Family Tree Maker,” while leaving no other options for users.

Ancestry isn’t run by a bunch of amateurs, and I find it hard to believe that they would do something so absolutely stupid as making that December announcement, while in negotiations with MacKiev and RootsMagic. But that’s what they did – angering thousands of users. Maybe the “end of year” 2015 and deadlines imposed thereby had something to do with it. No matter what Ancestry may have done earlier, I’m just thrilled with the changes that are now taking place!

Now – the good part!
MacKiev will continue to produce Family Tree Maker for Mac – and take on Family Tree Maker for Windows as well.

EVEN BETTER YET!
Bruce Buzbee, at RootsMagic, was able to cut a deal with Ancestry, allowing RootsMagic to have the same functionality as deals with Ancestry.com that Family Tree Maker has. They have announced that we will be able “to connect Ancestry with the RootsMagic software by the end of 2016. With this new relationship, RootsMagic can serve as your desktop family tree software, while having access to Ancestry hints, Ancestry searches, and the ability to save your tree on Ancestry.” Why so long? I’m guessing that an API has to be produced to allow Ancestry.com to sync their online data to RootsMagic. I’m absolutely thrilled that this is happening, for up until now, Ancestry hasn’t been willing to share the code with RootMagic that would allow them any interface whatsoever with the Ancestry.com Family Tree data.

So – this is a good day for both Family Tree Maker as well as RootsMagic users!
Following is the press release from Ancestry.com:

Since our Family Tree Maker announcement last December, we have continued to actively explore ways to develop and support Family Tree Maker and ensure you have choices to preserve your work in ways that matter to you.

Today, I am pleased to announce two options for desktop software that will work with Ancestry.

Software MacKiev
Software MacKiev, with whom we have a long-standing relationship, is acquiring the Family Tree Maker software line as publisher for both Mac and Windows versions. Software MacKiev has been the developer of Family Tree Maker for Mac for more than six years and is thrilled at the opportunity to publish future versions of Family Tree Maker for Mac and Windows.

This new agreement means you will receive software updates and new versions from Software MacKiev, and have the ability to purchase new versions of Family Tree Maker from Software MacKiev as they are released. You will have continued access to Ancestry Hints, Ancestry searches, and be able to save your tree on Ancestry with Family Tree Maker moving forward.

RootsMagic
We have made an agreement with RootsMagic, a leading genealogy desktop software program publisher, to connect Ancestry with the RootsMagic software by the end of 2016. With this new relationship, RootsMagic can serve as your desktop family tree software, while having access to Ancestry hints, Ancestry searches, and the ability to save your tree on Ancestry.

We have heard your concerns and are working to provide the solutions you requested. These new agreements will make it possible to preserve your work on Ancestry and Family Tree Maker and enable future features and benefits to help you discover your family history. Be assured that Ancestry, in cooperation with Software MacKiev and RootsMagic, will continue to support you as you discover your family history.

We ask for your patience as we work diligently through all the details to make these solutions available. Be sure to check back on our blog as we share more information about Family Tree Maker in the next few months.

FRPC is running a promotion this week on a bundle of RootsMagic 7 & the Getting the Most Out of RootsMagic 7 users guide. Normally $44.90, we’ve bundled the 2 items and dropped the price to just $29.19 – that’s less than the cost of RootsMagic 7 alone!

The MAC and PC version are both on the CD – although the packaging doesn’t indicate that…

Whew… Now this was a surprise to me. I’ve followed, although not always used, Family Tree Maker since version one. But it looks like it’s about to meet it’s demise.

The following is excerpted from the Ancestry blog:

…we’ve made the decision to stop selling Family Tree Maker as of December 31, 2015. Our subscription business and website, on the other hand, continue to grow and we are doubling down our efforts to make that experience even better for our Ancestry community. Ancestry will continue to support current owners of Family Tree Maker at least through January 1, 2017. During this time, all features of the software, including TreeSync™, will continue to work, and Member Services will be available to assist with user questions. We will also address major software bugs that may occur, as well as compatibility updates.

The following excerpt is from an article posted August 4, 2015 at techcentral.ie:

Family Tree Analyzer is a portable free tool which can analyse a family tree (in GEDCOM form) and produce various reports on it.

You’ll first need to save your data in the GEDCOM format. If you’re using family tree software then you can probably do that via a Save or Export option. If your tree is on the web, then check the site for export features (at Ancestry, select Tree Pages > Tree Settings > Export Tree).

Launch Family Tree Analyzer, click File > Open and select your GEDCOM file. The program will then import and parse your data (previous versions displayed plenty of errors, but the process is now mostly fault-free), before presenting its analysis under various tabs.

We have released a new update for RootsMagic 7 users, version 7.0.6.0.

If you use RootsMagic to work with FamilySearch Family Tree, you must install this update to continue working with it after July 30, 2015. FamilySearch will be making breaking changes to their API on July 30, 2015, and this update adds code to deal with those changes.

If you are running RootsMagic 7
On July 30, 2015, versions of RootsMagic 7 earlier than 7.0.6.0 will no longer be able to log into FamilySearch Family Tree. If you haven’t already downloaded the update, look for the “Update Available” indicator in the lower right corner of your RootsMagic 7 program screen, and click on it. You will then be able to continue working with FamilySearch Family Tree as if nothing has changed.

If you are running RootsMagic 6
On July 30, 2015, all versions of RootsMagic 6 will stop working with FamilySearch Family Tree. If you wish to continue working with FamilySearch through RootsMagic, you have 2 options:

Download the free RootsMagic 7 Essentials and install it (leave your RM6 installed as well). RootsMagic 6 and 7 have the same file format, so you can switch back and forth between them with your same database. You can use all the features in your paid RM6, and use RM7 Essentials when you need to work with FamilySearch Family Tree.

Heredis released their 2015 edition of their powerful software today. The French genealogy software runs on both Windows and Mac operating systems. Click on the illustration on the left for a YouTube video about Heredis. The following is from their News Release:

With the 2015 version, Heredis advances even further for the research of genealogists.

It now includes a search module to the online archives. Everything is just a click away: worldwide departmental and municipal archives, military records and libraries. Even if the list of proposed sites may not be exhaustive, the genealogist can propose other sites to the Heredis team to integrate them permanently into the Heredis search portal to online archives.

This module also provides the capacity to capture acts online and save them directly to the software. For increased efficiency, the genealogist can associate these captures directly to events and information to their sources already pre-filled by the software.

This comprehensive tool also allows you to launch a contextual search directly from a person’s file.

When the genealogist makes a capture of acts, it is now very easy to improve the readability of the act direct in Heredis and to make the alterations necessary for facilitating the transcription of these documents: adjustment of brightness, contrast and definition, cropping…

Heredis 2015 provides a revolutionary tool for the genealogist: the Photo Tool. This easy to use tool allows for example for all genealogists to identify persons in any photo and capture their faces. These new pictures are automatically recorded in the person’s file and may also be saved to the computer. If the person does not exist in the file, the genealogist can create the person directly from the Photo tool. If a person in the photo is not recognized, this person may be identified as an unknown person. Once the photo has been published or printed, people around the genealogist may be able to identify the person in a group photo and so bring new information for entry in Heredis.

With the Photo tool, the genealogist now has all the means for illustrating his/her genealogy, with the capture of the signatures of ancestors and the display of their portraits.

If the pictures in the genealogy do not seem to be perfect, which is often the case with old photos, Heredis can correct them. Crop or rotate a photo, enhance color or convert color photos into beautiful black and white photographs, these are some of the possibilities of the Photo tool. It is truly an ideal tool for enrich your genealogy.

To this, the genealogist can add the possibility of launching beautiful diaporamas of the photos. Several themes are available for sharing this photographic work in music.

A meaningful advance that makes all the difference for the genealogist, is the possibility offered by the 2015 version to capture shared events. It can now share events between numerous participants in a single entry. For example, for census records the genealogist will enter only one event in Heredis and it will be shared among all those mentioned in the act and it will specify their role for each person. An undeniable time saving that avoids data input errors.

With the 2015 release, the Family Tree Mapping function is a new tool that users will certainly appreciate. Interactive maps show the geographic distribution of the genealogy of your ancestors. Several levels of zoom are available to veiw in detail the places where all the ancestors lived. The genealogist can now scroll through the various places where they lived, by period and by generation.

The 2015 Version propels once again your genealogy online with Heredis Online. Heredis makes available real online photo albums, searchable by family, friends and other genealogists: detailed pictures allow visitors to Heredis Online to appreciate their beauty and maybe to identify unknown persons in a photo and thereby advance the work of the genealogist.

With the 2015 release, everything is now in Heredis. No need for additional software to be installed or paid for, to have all the tools necessary for your genealogy! Heredis 2015 offers new and interesting possibilities for truly ALL genealogists. The proposed innovations are real advances for their work. Heredis 2015 stands out as being the most complete software for managing any genealogy.

Heredis is cutting its prices Windows: unlimited version at $29.99 and unlimited update version at $19.99.

Mac: unlimited version for $49.99. Because of the requirements of the AppStore, the Mac version does not have an update rate but an introductory price at $24.99.

Family Roots Publishing is offering a package deal of the RootsMagic 7 software (full version) and Getting the Most Out of RootsMagic 7, a 395-page book for over 55% off. Normally $44.90 for the two items, we’re making them available for just $19.88 – the best price ever offered on the finest genealogy software & guidebook available today! Better yet, the package is for the CD-ROM of the software and the perfect-bound soft-cover book – not Internet downloads. The last time FRPC was able to do a RootsMagic sale of this nature was four years ago – and that was for RootsMagic version 4! There is no catch to the offer. This is the latest software and book. No new version will be coming out in the next few months. In this case, a deal too good to be true really is true! This offer is limited to the first 200 orders received prior to midnight PDT Monday, June 29, 2015 – so order now!

RootsMagic is the award-winning genealogy software which makes researching, organizing, and sharing your family history easy! Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced professional, RootsMagic is the perfect tool for you!

Compare the features with any other genealogy software. See for yourself why Family Tree Magazine called RootsMagic, “Probably the best all-around genealogy program, RootsMagic offers a winning combination of features for both casual and serious genealogists.”

The Main Screen

RootsMagic has six main views, plus a sidebar for easier navigation. You switch between the views by simply clicking on the tab for the desired view. All views are fully navigatible using either the mouse or arrow keys. Double clicking on a person’s name brings up the data entry screen for that person. You can even open multiple databases side by side.

The Edit Screen

The RootsMagic edit screen lets you add an unlimited number of facts for every person (i.e. birth, death, marriage, occupation, religion, description, etc). If you want to add a fact type that isn’t in RootsMagic’s predefined list, you can simply create your own fact types. RootsMagic also allows notes and unlimited source citations for every fact.

Every piece of information on a person is available from this one screen… name, parent and spouse info, personal and family facts, DNA test results, alternate names, or LDS information. You can directly access the notes, sources, media, and more for every item.

The RootsMagic Explorer

The RootsMagic Explorer is the heart of RootsMagic’ search system. The Explorer makes it easy to find and edit anyone in your file. Quickly search by surname or given names, genetic lines, or perform sophisticated searches easily. Even find women by their married names.

And you can easily edit any person in the search list with the click of a single button.

Let RootsMagic Find Your Family Online

With WebHints, RootsMagic automatically searches your favorite genealogy records sites including FamilySearch and MyHeritage for possible matches to your data. Clicking on the light bulb opens up a web browser with the matching records (some records may require a subscription). The powerful WebSearch allows you to quickly search the internet for more matches.

Sources – Documenting Your Family History

RootsMagic provides a powerful source list which lets you add, edit, delete, and print the sources of your information. Simply add the source once, then when you add a fact to a person and want to document where that information came from, you simply point to the source in the source list.

And best of all, the RootsMagic SourceWizard will help you write properly formatted sources regardless of your expertise. Quickly and easily create sources as defined by Evidence!, Evidence Explained, or Cite Your Sources. You can even create your own source types.

Printing Reports

RootsMagic offers a large selection of printouts, all available from a single report dialog. Pedigree charts, family group sheets, wall charts, 7 styles of narrative reports (where RootsMagic writes the sentences for you), numerous lists, mailing labels, calendars, relationship charts, individual summaries, and photo trees. And if that isn’t enough, RootsMagic even provides a custom report generator, so you can create your own specialized lists.

Publish Your Family History

Publishing your family history has never been easier. The RootsMagic Publisher lets you combine multiple reports and charts into a single document, and will automatically create a table of contents and full index for the book. You can include photos, notes, sources and other text in your book. You can even add cover and title pages, copyright page, dedication, and more.

Send your book directly to your printer, or save it to a PDF file to burn on a CD or email to family members.

Create Spectacular Wall Charts

RootsMagic lets you create beautiful full color ancestor, descendant, and hourglass wall charts. You have full control over the positioning, size, colors, fonts, and other aspects of every object in the chart. With simple mouse control you can resize an individual’s box, or drag it to another location on the canvas without breaking the family links. You can change colors of individual boxes, or change the font or color of the text in the boxes. You can even customize your chart by adding additional text, pictures, or shapes to the chart, and you can change the background image or color.

Publish Online

Looking for a free and easy way to share your family history with the world? RootsMagic can create beautiful, dynamic websites with pedigree, family and individual views as well as supporting notes, sources, and media. And with our free My.RootsMagic.com hosting service, your genealogy has an online home with the click of a mouse.

Make Shareable CDs

You’ve worked hard to collect and organize your family history, and now RootsMagic makes it easy to share that history with your family and friends. Your Shareable CD™ will feature a custom home page with your own title, photo, description, and contact information, and will include a read-only version of RootsMagic to show off your data and multimedia items.

Map Your Family

RootsMagic lets you view your family on a map. Simply select a family member from the list and RootsMagic will display the map (anywhere in the world), with pins where that person’s events (birth, marriage, death, burial, etc) occurred.

Merging Duplicate Records

RootsMagic provides the most powerful and easy to use merge capabilities available. RootsMagic will automatically look for duplicate individuals and display them in a list with the most likely matches listed first. Simply click a button to merge the duplicate pair, or mark them as “not a match” so that they won’t show up in any future merge sessions. Plus, RootsMagic features SmartMerge technology to let you quickly merge all those “for certain” duplicates.

RootsMagic To-Go

Take RootsMagic with you wherever you go! RootsMagic To-Go allows you to copy the RootsMagic program and your data onto any simple USB flash drive or removable drive. Take the drive to a computer, plug it in, and run RootsMagic directly from it.

In short, what more could you ask for? RootsMagic 7 is a terrific program, which we heartily endorse

THE BOOK – GETTING THE MOST OUT OF ROOTSMAGIC 7

RootsMagic is the easiest genealogy software available, yet many people will barely begin to use RootsMagic’s features. If you are one of these people, then Getting the Most Out of RootsMagic is the book for you.

It’s just been announced that the popular MacFamilyTree software for Mac OSx is now available in version 7.5.

The following items are new in Version 7.5

Genealogy Book Creation and Printing

Create complete genealogy books of your family tree

Lots of different styles and templates

The following release is dated June 11, 2015:

Mainz, Germany – Synium Software GmbH has just launched version 7.5 of their popular and multi award-winning genealogy application that lets you to explore your own family history. Last year, Apple selected MacFamilyTree as one of the “Unforgettable Apps” of the last 30 years and recommended it on the Mac App Store welcome page countless times

With MacFamilyTree 7.5, you can now create, share and print family books. Family books include all important data contained in your family tree and supplements it with informative and graphically impressive charts, statistics, and reports. Numerous templates and styles are available to help you create family books in a flash – they also make great birthday or wedding gifts.

MacFamilyTree 7.5 also supports Apple’s new Photos app for easy access to all images and videos stored in the media center. In addition, we dramatically enhanced the Places management feature, which, based on Apple Maps, now allows users to look at important milestones in their family history neatly displayed on a map.

MacFamilyTree comes with full integration of FamilySearch, which is a free research service that lets you search not only billions of ancestral data sets but also original documents such as certificates, immigration and church registers, and many more official documents.

Pricing and Availability:
For a limited time, MacFamilyTree 7.5 is now $24.99 USD until June 21st (Reg $49.99) or equivalent amount in other currencies, and available worldwide through the Mac App Store in the Productivity category. There is also a mobile version of MacFamilyTree available. It’s called MobileFamilyTree 7, offers almost every feature of MacFamilyTree and is sold separately for just $7.99 (USD). That’s a 50% discount, too…

Synium Software GmbH has been developing software exclusively for the Mac since 2005 and for the iPhone since 2008. The products range from productivity applications to multimedia software and iPhone and iPad applications. All Material and Software (C) 2005-2015 Synium Software GmbH / All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, are registered trademarks of Apple Computer in the U.S. and/or other countries.

Now that I know that I’ve survived the “2015-extraordinary-flu,” and I will be attending RootsTech, FGS, and the Innovator Summit, I’ve added the BYU Family History Technology Workshop to my schedule. It will be held at the conference center on the BYU campus in Provo the day before the Innovator Summit. The program looks interesting. Following is their announcement:

This year’s Family History Technology Workshop will take place February 10 at the BYU Conference Center and will focus on “The Future of Family History Technology.”

The workshop will begin with a lightning session (2-3 minute speeches) followed by demos of new software apps. The afternoon will feature a keynote by Curt Witcher from the Allen County Public Library, followed by talks from experts from Google, Ancestry.com, and FamilySearch. The day will conclude with a panel discussion on the future of family history technology.

We invite all of you who are participating in the Innovator’s Summit on February 11 to register for and participate in the Family History Technology Workshop that will be held the day before at BYU.

We extend a special invitation to all who are submitting their work to the Innovator Challenge to come and participate in the lightning session the morning of February 10 where you will have the opportunity to provide a brief overview of your work followed by a demonstration to attendees.

Progeny Genealogy is pleased to announce ver. 5.2 of Charting Companion, featuring a fast, convenient chart preview directly in the main window.

You can now preview the Ancestor, Descendant, Hourglass, Bowtie, Fan charts and Trellis chart instantly, edit the chart by pruning selected branches, and print or publish to PDF, JPG, PNG, GIF or BMP image format. Just scroll the mouse to zoom in or zoom out, and adjust the size of the chart so it fits exactly in the page or pages that you choose.

The Ancestor and Descendant Fan charts can now be tiled over multiple pages.

Best of all, the new version is available as a free upgrade to all customers who have already bought their copy of Charting Companion (ver. 5).

Just click here to download and install Charting Companion if you have already bought a license.

If you don’t own Charting Companion, visit our website for more information, and to buy.

Charting Companion charts will make you a hit with your relatives, and the star of your next family reunion

The following excerpt is from an extensive piece published at GouldGenealogy.com.

Some issues have been discovered in Family Tree Maker 2014, and their programmers have been working on fixes which are included in this patch update. Covering general bug fixes, and also TreeSync, this is an update that everyone with FTM 2014 should do.